Method for attaching handles to containers or the like

ABSTRACT

The method of attaching a substantially U-shaped bail-type plastic handle provided with apertured depending extremities to a plastic container provided with complementary opposed retaining means for engaging said apertured extremities to provide an unseparable pivotal association therewith, said method including the steps of positioning said container and handle in aligned relationship for engagement, applying pressure to said depending apertured extremities to forcibly engage the aligned retaining means and simultaneously oscillating said handle as the retaining means are forced through the associated apertures.

Inventors Norris W. Walkup;

James W. Mauck, both of Atwood, 111.; Irvin D. l-llood, lronton, Mo.

Appl. No. 24,274

Filed Mar. 31, 1970 Patented Jan. 4, 1972 Assignee National Distillers and Chemical Corporation New York, N .Y.

Continuation-impart of application Ser. No. 694,308, Dec. 28, 1967, now Patent No. 3,524,241, dated Aug. 18, 1970. This application Mar. 31, 1970, Ser. No. 24,274

METHOD FOR ATTACHING HANDLES TO CONTAINERS OR THE LIKE 2 Claims, 6 Drawing Figs. US. Cl 29/434,

29/235, 29/450, 29/453, 215/100 v Int. Cl ..B23p 19/00,

, 823p 11/02 9 Field of Search 2 434,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,702,087 2/l955 Beier 29/453 UX 3,093,257 6/1963 Miller... 29/453 UX 3,100,576 8/1963 Frank 215/100 UX 3,120,974 2/1964 Matson 29/453 UX 3,217,400 ll/l965 lllesy et a1 29/453 Primary Examiner-Charlie T. Moon Attorney-Allen A. Meyer, Jr.

ABSTRACT: The method of attaching a substantially U- shaped bail-type plastic handle provided with apertured depending extremities to a plastic container provided with complementary opposed retaining means for engaging said apertured extremities to provide an unseparable pivotal association therewith, said method including the steps of positioning said container and handle in aligned relationship for engagement, applying pressure to said depending apertured extremities to forcibly engage the aligned retaining means and simultaneously oscillating said handle as the retaining means are forced through the associated apertures.

PATENIED JAN 41972 SHEET 1 [IF 2 FIG-.6

INVENTORS NORRIS W. WALKUP JAMES W. MAUCK IRVIN 0. H000 BY Mal/ A, ATT RNEY INVENTORS NORRIS W.WALKUP G, 5 JAMES W.MAUCK mvm D.HOOD

BY 6W1 h- METHOD FOR ATTACHING HANDLES T CONTAINERS OR THE LIKE The present application is a continuation-in-part of our copending application Ser. No. 694,308 filed Dec. 28, 1967, now US. Pat. No. 3,524,241, issued Aug. 18, 1970 and specifically related to the apparatus here present.

This invention relates to apparatus for attaching a plastic bailtype handle to a plastic container and bottle and more particularly to a novel method whereby said attachment may be accomplished with particular ease and economy and an inseparable pivotal relationship will be achieved.

It is an object of the invention to provide apparatus of the class set'forth and a novel method of handle and container assembly whereby an operator may readily and in a minimum of time apply adequate and properly located force to attach the extremities of an arched thermoplastic handle to a thermoplastic container without any necessity for softening the plastic material as by heat or other means.

As shown in the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of apparatus in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view thereof;

FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 are enlarged detail views, parts being broken away for purposes of clarity, illustrating the progressive steps of attaching a handle to a container in accordance with the present invention; and

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view, also on an enlarged scale, illustrating a handle attached pivotally to a contamer.

Briefly stated, the present invention includes a supporting base which houses portions of the apparatus and which includes retaining means for holding a receptacle in predetermined position, a fluid-operated ram mounted at each side of the base and projecting in alignment with engaging means on said receptacle to engage the end portions of a bail-type handle, a valve within the supporting base and operatively connected to the rams, and a remote control for said valve whereby an operator may use both hands to position a con tainer and a handle for application of the latter to the container and may operate the remote control by a foot pedal or the like.

With further reference to the drawings, the apparatus of the present invention includes a base or housing 10 providing a supporting surface 11, and including sidewalls l2 and end walls 14 and 15. Preferably, the base is provided from sheet metal providing a rigid structure.

Mounted upon the supporting surface 11 of the base is a substantially U-shaped clamping member 16 having a flat central web portion 17 and side members 18 which may be inwardly inclined and have outwardly curved leading edges 19 to facilitate the reception of an object such as a plastic container 62 between the side members 18. The web 17 is attached to the supporting surface 11 by any desired means such as a bracket 20, suitable fastening elements, such as bolts or the like, being employed to provide a fixed association.

A vertically disposed bracket or the like 25 is mounted at each side of the base 10, the lower edge of each bracket being even with the lower edge of the associated sidewall 12 and the bracket extending substantially above the supporting surface 11. These brackets preferably are secured to the sidewalls 12 of the base member by any suitable means, such as welding, or the like, and each bracket 25 includes a web portion 26 and side flanges 27 which desirably decrease in width from about the level of the floor 11 of the base to the upper extremities thereof.

A platelike extension 30 is mounted on each web portion 26, adjacent the top of each bracket 25, by suitably fastening means such as bolts or the like 31. Preferably the platelike extensions or brackets 30 are vertically adjustable and each is provided with an aperture located above the upper extremity of the supporting bracket 25 for the reception of the barrel 32 of an air cylinder or ram 33 which is provided with an externally threaded extremity for engagement with a nut or the like 34 whereby the air cylinder is retained securely within its associated aperture.

Each of the air cylinders 33 has an end cap 36 which receives an extremity 37 of a fluid line 38 and a second fluid line 39 has an extremity 39a connected to the air cylinder 33 on the remote side of a reciprocal piston housed therein as is well known in this and related arts. Extending inwardly of the plate 30 is a shaft or rod 40 which is attached to the piston within the air cylinder, the rod extending through a bushing 41. Mounted upon the free extremity of each rod 40 is a substantially cylindrical tip 42 provided with a bore 43 for a purpose to be described more fully hereafter. It will be understood that each ram 33 is of the conventional double-acting fluid-operated type.

The fluid lines 38, 39 extend through the web portion 26 and sidewalls 12 into the supporting base 10 and are connected to a solenoid distributing valve located therein. The distributing valve is supplied with air (fluid) under pressure from a suitable source (not shown) and is operated electrically by cable 54 connected through the switch 55 to power supply line 56.

While various items of equipment may be utilized in accordance with well-known practices, an air cylinder Model No. 30901-0010 by Schrader, a four-way midget solenoid valve catalog No. LB 8345Bl by Asco, and a foot switch Model No. 419-5 by Linemaster, have been found to perform satisfactorily.

The supply air pressure preferably is on the order of 60 to psi. and the solenoid valve operated on conventional l 10 volt, 60 hertz, single phase electric current. The tips 42 preferably are of austenite stainless steel although other materials may be employed.

The apparatus described in detail hereabove is designed especially for engaging and connecting the perforated end portions of a bail-type handle 61 with pinlike projections 60 formed upon a container such as a plastic bottle 62. The handle and bottle ordinarily are produced from thermoplastic materials such as polyethylene, polypropylene, or other suitable olefins. The plastic is of a nature that has some flexibility but resists stretching and returns to its original preformed shape after a distorting force below its elastic limit is removed. In view of the load-carrying capacity of the bottle, a strong and readily pivotal handle is essential, the assembly of the type under consideration requiring mechanical means or assistance due to the forces required to effect attachment between handle and container.

As shown in FIGS. 3 through 5, the handle 61 has apertures 63 adjacent its end portions. The bottle has suitably located pinlike portions 60 extending from opposite sides and preferably positioned near the shoulder of the bottle. Each of these pinlike portions has an enlarged head 64 which tapers outwardly to reduced diameter and a portion 65 contiguous to the neck 66 which projects sharply outwardly from the latter. The diameter of each aperture 63 is slightly larger than that of the neck portion 66 and smaller than the portion 65 of the enlarged head 64. The handle extremity must be pressed forcibly and the aperture 63 therein expanded to permit passage therethrough of the enlarged head portion 64 so that the handle extremity will engage the neck portion 66 as illustrated in FIGS. 3 through 5 of the drawings, the plastic returning to its original dimension after such expansion, and it is critical that care be exercised and the handle manipulated, as will be discussed hereafter, to avoid damaging the handle in the area immediately surrounding the aperture while engagement is being effected. The tips 42 of the rams have a bore 43 of sufficient size so that the rim of the tip engages the end portion of the handle around the aperture 63 and permits reception of the enlarged head portion 64 of the pin within the bore 43, as shown in FIG. 5, after the head portion of the pin has passed through the associated aperture 63. In this step of assembly, the tapered extremity of the enlarged head portion is forced into the aperture 63 in the handle extremity, expanding the same until it snaps onto the neck portion of the pin.

In operation, as an initial step in the novel method under discussion, the bottle is positioned as indicated in FIG. 2 within the clamp 16. This may be done manually or as part of a continuous conveyor system where, in timed step-by-step operation. a bottle is positioned. the handle attached, and the bottle then removed mechanically, The height of the rams may be varied, if necessary, by adjustment of the plates 30 and the position of the bracket 20, until the centerline of the rams is in alignment with the centerline of the pins. Then, with the pins of the bottle aligned with the rams, the depending portions of the handle 61 are spread slightly as shown in FIG. 4 of the drawings so that the aperture therein will be engaged with the tapered extremities of the enlarged head portions 64 of the pins 60. This may be done manually since the operator has both hands free for this purpose; however, this also may be done mechanically if desired. The operator then initiates the switch 55 to operate the rams in order to force the end portions of the handle over the pins.

To facilitate this latter step, and obviate any possibilities of damage to either extremities of the pins or the portions of the handle in the area immediately surrounding the apertures 63, it is required that the handle 61 be oscillated between the positions illustrated in dotted lines in FIG. 6 of the drawings. Such manipulation, or oscillatory movement, must be in an arc having a minimum angle of from 75 to 90 and distributes the expansive forces being exerted upon the peripheral walls of the apertures 63, as distinguished from pressure being applied by the rams only in an axial direction, and assists materially in effecting assembly between handle and receptacle, the operation being carried out with the plastic at ambient temperature, below softening temperature, and without any softening agent.

It will be obvious to those skilled in this art that various changes may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. Accordingly, the invention is not considered limited by that which is shown in the drawings and described in the specification and reference is had to the claims for summaries of the novel method of operation for which protection is desired.

What is claimed is:

l. The method of attaching a plastic bail-type handle to aligned outwardly projecting pins on a plastic bottle, the pins having enlarged heads with tapered extremities and neck portions of reduced diameter, each depending arm of the bailtype handle having an aperture ofa size to fit the neck portion of the pin and normally smaller than the enlarged head portion thereof, said method including the steps of:

a. positioning a plastic bottle within a restraining zone;

b. spreading the depending arms of the bail-type handle and engaging the apertures in said arms with the tapered extremities ofsaid pins;

0. applying adequate force to the extremities of the spread depending arms of the bail-type handle to force said arms over the enlarged head portions of said pins and onto the reduced neck portions thereof, and applying oscillatory movement to said bail-type handle simultaneous with the application of engaging force.

2. The method of claim 1 where said oscillatory movement is in an are having an angle on the order offrom 75 to 

1. The method of attaching a pLastic bail-type handle to aligned outwardly projecting pins on a plastic bottle, the pins having enlarged heads with tapered extremities and neck portions of reduced diameter, each depending arm of the bail-type handle having an aperture of a size to fit the neck portion of the pin and normally smaller than the enlarged head portion thereof, said method including the steps of: a. positioning a plastic bottle within a restraining zone; b. spreading the depending arms of the bail-type handle and engaging the apertures in said arms with the tapered extremities of said pins; c. applying adequate force to the extremities of the spread depending arms of the bail-type handle to force said arms over the enlarged head portions of said pins and onto the reduced neck portions thereof, and applying oscillatory movement to said bail-type handle simultaneous with the application of engaging force.
 2. The method of claim 1 where said oscillatory movement is in an arc having an angle on the order of from 75* to 90*. 